


Mirage

by im_ny



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Bandits & Outlaws, F/F, Plot Driven, morally gray characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:02:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29889819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_ny/pseuds/im_ny
Summary: There’s nothing more dangerous and tension filled than the uncivilized West. Ambition can be blinding, loyalty lines can be blurred and promises can be broken.The Wild West is nothing but a wheel and there’s nine spokes vying to break each other until there’s only one standing.
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Minatozaki Sana, Hirai Momo/Minatozaki Sana, Im Nayeon/Park Jisoo | Jihyo, Im Nayeon/Yoo Jeongyeon, Myoui Mina/Son Chaeyoung, Myoui Mina/Yoo Jeongyeon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Mirage

**Author's Note:**

> i’ve never seen a TWICE western au and I wanted to try it out. tell me what you think :)

“We can’t let her live, boys!” shouted the head ranger. 

Jihyo crouched between wild grass that burned her skin more than the scorching sun that sat above her. Hiding from the law is like shooting a gun for her, almost a second nature. The lawmen exchanged curses for unsuccessfully catching Jihyo, one of the South’s most wanted outlaw. She’s well aware they don’t want her dead, they never have. Arresting her then parading her through all the towns she’s pillaged is a much greater fest than shooting her down. Her heart rate still jumped from the adrenaline. They may not kill her, but they may beat her until she wants them to. 

Just a couple more minutes and they’ll fall back, like they always do. It’s impossible to outrun lawmen from Stonewood, they have the fastest horses in the county. Chasing on horseback works for them most of the time, until they come across Jihyo. She knows they never use hounds for manhunts, only depending on their horses. Hiding low in tall grass, praying she’s not stomped on by horse hooves gets her out of trouble with Stonewood lawmen. 

Her late mother loved jewels. As a child, she would take Jihyo with her to Stonewood for errands. Stonewood is a magical place if you’re a child that grew up on a struggling ranch. Stonewood is such a bustling market town. Seeing all the green produce and fresh meat on display, Jihyo thought everyone in Stonewood must be wealthy. On a chilly day, her mother took her inside a jewelry store. Everything looked so ethereal and expensive, Jihyo thought that even staring at the jewelry would dirty them. But there was one piece of jewelry Jihyo and her mother couldn’t keep their eyes off of. It was a ring with a large, glistening diamond and a simple gold band. The store owner was so nice to let them come in and have a peek, but he knew just like her mother that they couldn’t afford the ring. 

A few months later, her mother died of sickness. It was no secret to Jihyo that she died unhappy. Her daughter ran away from home, she sold the farm and lived her last days homeless. It sickens Jihyo to her core. She’s tried many things to bury the guilt, most of which she regrets. Today, she made the best decision of her life, robbing the Stonewood Jeweler of the ring her mother adored. 

Jihyo deems the distance from the lawmen safe enough, she whistles to catch the attention of her horse, “Go!” She urged, shooing the horse away. The horse trotted into a nearby forest trail, leaving a small cloud of dust. 

She never named the mare, because she couldn’t. Jihyo doesn’t want a companion that can’t shoot a rifle or skin a buffalo. Never finding it in her heart to remotely care about horses after one broke her arm when she was eleven. If her life wasn’t in the balance, she’d never mount one ever again. 

Jihyo crawled from the tall grass and let out a short sigh. She looked at the cloudless sky and searched for the sun.  _ Twelve more hours of sunlight _ , She told herself. 

Jihyo resumed her journey with little dwelling, she’s on the see an old friend. Familiar with the area, she moved past an abandoned shack and found the main train tracks. In the distance, she heard the faint rumbling of the afternoon train. Beside the tracks is a large boulder that she hid behind. Hopping the train wouldn't be an option for her if the conductors saw a wanted Park Jihyo roaming out in the open alongside the train tracks. 

After a half hour of waiting, Jihyo readied herself to hop on the train. She has to be quick to ensure she hops on the right train cabin. Train operators aren’t stupid, they have armed guards manning caboose. Hopping on the last cabin is a death sentence. She doesn’t train hop often, but when she does, she almost always chooses the middle cabin with the rich people. There’s only two risks when hopping the middle cabin, her rugged appearance and the speed. 

Thankfully, the afternoon train had a slower speed today and she jumped the train with no trouble. She sat on the edge of the cabin, leaving her legs to hang. Jihyo patted her pockets, sighing with relief when she found a single cigarette. The cigarette was a bit ruined, those are always the best ones. 

Right as she placed the cigarette between her lips, the door of the middle cabin swung open. A red-faced conductor looked down at Jihyo and offered his hand. 

“There’s a bandit on the loose, ma’am. C’mon and get inside where it’s safe.” He urged. 

She took a short drag of her cigarette, “No thank you, sir. Surely I’ll be safe with those gunmen you have situated back there.” She removed some bass from her voice. 

The conductor shook his head, “I’d rather have you inside ma’am. Smoking is permitted.” He extended his hand further. 

She stared at his calloused hand for a few more seconds, testing her luck, but he persisted. Her eyes cut sharply, he never seemed to notice or care about her rugged attire. She didn’t look like she belonged in the middle cabin — hell, she looked like she didn’t belong on the entire train. 

“Ma’am.” He egged on, extending his hand even further. Tucking the cigarette in between her lips, she took his rough hand and stood up.

He opened the door to the middle cabin and it was just as she expected, gaudy with lurid details. Many people envy the rich, but not her. Rich people have it good until someone like Jihyo comes around to rob them blind.

No eyes followed her while she walked down the aisle cautiously, anticipating a brash man to reveal her identity at any minute. Some passengers read the newspaper and there’s no doubt Jihyo’s name will be somewhere in between those lines. To avoid any type of identification, she finds a seat quickly. 

Directly across from her, was a beautiful woman with fresh, round features. Jihyo has met all types of people from different parts of the state. She prides herself on her ability to know someone’s life story by the way they speak, look or act. But she couldn’t quite tell with the beautiful woman. 

She glanced up, sensing Jihyo’s eyes on her. The beautiful woman greeted Jihyo with a unique smile, nothing she’s ever seen before. She prays that her dirty clothes doesn’t alarm the beautiful woman. Jihyo could only bring herself to nod at the awkward moment. Despite Jihyo believing the exchange was soured, it was clear that the beautiful woman thought the opposite. Her eyes never hardened and she never tensed up at Jihyo. 

“Where you headed?” She spoke, removing rubber gloves from her hands. Her hands were long and slender like they’ve never worked a day in her life. 

“Rosenthal.” Jihyo replied. She tried to look outside the cabin window, but her eyes wouldn’t let her tear away from the beautiful woman. 

If Stonewood is a magical place for children, then Rosenthal is a magical place for adults. Some say they work to make it into heaven, and many say they work to live in Rosenthal. 

“Likewise.” Her accent was thick but it sounded like music in Jihyo’s ears. There have been a few times where Jihyo’s been on the road nonstop and has gotten lonely. She’s always had a baseless vow of celibacy, but some of those nights called for a lady of the night. Decent in all departments, none could compare to the beautiful woman. The rates for ladies of the night ranged from ten cents to forty. She feels guilty for implying the beautiful woman would ever present herself as a lady of the night, but Jihyo would pay a rate of five dollars for a night with her. 

“What business are you travelling for?” Jihyo asked, taking one last, long drag of her cigarette. 

The beautiful woman only chuckled. It lasted for not even a second but it was a second that would ring in Jihyo’s ears until she found another laugh that could be better. “There’s no business, sweetie. I’m going home to my family.” 

Jihyo nodded silently and looked outside the window. The closer they got to Rosenthal, the bigger those manors on the hills overlooking the town were starting to look. Jihyo has met plenty of crooked people in her life and she doesn’t think none could amount to the crookedness of those living in the mansions on the hill.

After an hour, they finally arrived at their destination, Rosenthal train station. Sitting in silence across from the beautiful woman became easier as time went on and Jihyo distracted herself. She didn’t want to attach herself further to the beautiful woman, for she was nothing but a stranger. There’s a certainty the beautiful woman would spit in Jihyo’s direction if she knew her truth. The beautiful woman’s family would have Jihyo’s head if they knew she sat this close. 

Rosenthal lived up to its reputation. Nothing except Jihyo looked out of place. The town’s natives wore clothes dyed black, pure white or a crying burgundy. Everything was uniformed. Limestone walkways, lush greenery and greek architecture made up Rosenthal’s downtown. There’s a saying about Rosenthal that now rang true for Jihyo, “A town where the affluent go to live and bandits go to die.” 

Eavesdropping on others’ conversations is something Jihyo doesn’t care to do, but she’s been alert this entire ride. Thankfully, she overheard a conversation between the mustached engineer and the red-faced conductor as she was walking off. 

“No luggage and sitting in my first class cabin dressed like a thug? That’s the bandit you halfwit!” the engineer gritted through his mustache. 

When she turned around, she made direct eye contact with the engineer, whose face was redder than the conductor’s. Jihyo’s eyes shifted when she felt another pair of familiar eyes on her. Unexpectedly, the beautiful woman’s eyes never lost its softness, and she still didn’t look at Jihyo in fear and disgust. 

The engineer shouted and stomped his feet at Jihyo. Half of the town had their eyes on her now, especially the sheriff and his rangers, who started pursuing her on horseback. She took off running, looking back at the rangers every second only to find them gaining more and more ground. 

Then there’s a collision. 

“Woah now.” She heard the voice warn, wrapping their arms to catch her. She still managed to fall on the ground, dirtying her attire even further. 

She slowly fluttered her eyes open, only to see a tall figure tower over her. The sun beamed right above them, making it hard to recognize the person. The collision gave her a subtle headache and the exclaiming from the rangers weren’t helping her at all. Being arrested in Rosenthal means the end for Jihyo, they love capturing lone bandits with hardly any credibility like her. 

The figure stepped forward, blocking the sun from Jihyo’s sight. There she was, the reason Jihyo ran away from home and the reason she decided to come to Rosenthal. 

Yoo Jeongyeon, in all her glory, towered over Jihyo. A perfectly tailored jacket ran down to her shins, and her hat was worth more than the Stonewood ring. It’s been a little over three year since they’ve met and Jihyo hasn’t changed a lick. Jeongyeon on the other hand, looked much better than she used to. She was no longer an impoverished bandit eating scraps of sausage and potatoes at a random camp. Jeongyeon was established. 

The only thing that hasn’t changed from Jeongyeon is that hellbound smirk she likes to plaster on her face. “Get up, Park.” She held her hand out. 

The rangers were still yelling out several grievances, none of which could Jihyo clearly make out. They quieted down when they saw her interaction with Jeongyeon and exchanged confused looks with one another before looking at the sheriff for further instructions. 

The sheriff cleared his throat, and spoke with a booming voice, “We have to arrest this outlaw, Yoo.” He proclaimed. 

Jeongyeon adjusted her hat and flashed a charming smile at the sheriff. The amount of times that smile has gotten them both out of trouble, Jihyo wouldn't be able to count on both hands. “No, sir. She’s with me. She won’t cause no problems, I swear it.” 

The sheriff tensed. Jihyo didn’t know Jeongyeon was so well respected to the point where this sheriff did not order his men to put holes in both of their bodies. “She’s wanted in several counties.” He gritted. 

Jeongyeon lost her smile and sighed in annoyance. Her temper hasn’t changed either, she’s always been quicker to anger than Jihyo ever was. “She won’t cause no problems.” She repeated, empathizing her words even more. 

The sheriff blew a short whistle, and Jihyo watched him and his rangers retreat into the town. Who would have guessed the almighty Rosenthal Rangers would retreat so easily at the behest of a charming outlaw? 

“Welcome to Rosenthal.” Jeongyeon called out from behind her. “Fancy isn't it?” She cocked a brow. 

Jeongyeon walked toward two black horses tied to a pole, whistling while she untied their leads. “C’mon Park. They’ll arrest you if I’m not looking.” She grinned.

Jihyo joined her and mounted the spare horse. She followed Jeongyeon on the gravel path toward the hill where the manors sat. She’s yet to speak a word to Jeongyeon, and neither seems to mind a bit. Both don’t tend to fill silence with unnecessary chatter, having learned the useful skill of holding their tongues in unreadable situations. This here, is an unreadable situation. 

“I would like it if you were more careful.” Jeongyeon suggested. “It’ll be a somber day if I hear terrible news regarding my most valuable asset one day.” 

Jihyo shifted her eyes to the back of Jeongyeon’s head, watching the wind softly blow the centimeters of hair that hung out of her hat. “Asset? I don’t work for you or with you.” She scoffed. 

Jeongyeon looked back, flashing a cheesy grin. “That was a compliment, Park, but I know you don't get a lot of those.” She teased. “I have assets that make me thousands of dollars, and yet you’re the one I value most. That’s a perfect compliment in my book.” 

Jihyo knew Jeongyeon went on a different life path than her, but she didn’t know it was making her thousands of dollars. Jihyo has always been the brains between the two of them, she lacked ambition. Where Jihyo lacked, Jeongyeon made up for. Jeongyeon along with two other bandits became gang leaders. Her gang started off small, gaining scraps of respect by robbing trains and performing heists. Jeongyeon and the two other leaders rose in prominence quickly, with their own respective territory split into three sections across the entire state. Perhaps they aren’t so different, they gain income the same way, it's just that Jeongyeon has people getting their hands dirty for her. 

“Didn’t sound like a compliment. You said it like you owned me.” Jihyo frowned. They’ve had a conversation similar to this plenty of times. Jeongyeon cracked jokes and Jihyo would never be quick enough to catch them, it was a familiar cycle that Jihyo's welcome to experience again. 

“I figured it was you who robbed the jeweler in Stonewood.” She revealed. 

“News travels fast.” 

She shot another wide grin toward Jihyo, “I have eyes and ears everywhere, Park.”

Jihyo laughed at the widely obvious statement, “I know you do. You claim this county and several others in the southern parts of the state yours right?” 

“Right.” She nodded sharply. 

Jihyo’s horse finally caught up with Jeongyeon after lagging behind for a short bit, “You waited for me at the train station?” She questioned.

Jeongyeon shook her head, “I knew you were headed this way but I didn’t know you would board a train and end up in my town. I even sent someone out to search for you and bring you this way.” She revealed. 

“Why?” Jihyo asked. That question has been lingering in her head since they collided bodies, why has Jeongyeon entered her life once again?

Jeongyeon hesitated and cleared her throat. Any hesitation with Jeongyeon toward her means Jihyo may or may not like what’s going to leave her mouth next. “Do you want a job?” She searched for the answer in Jihyo's disinterested eyes. “Like the old days?” She egged on.

“I just did a job.” Jihyo replied lowly.

“Bigger and better.” She argued.

If Jeongyeon wasn’t so morally skewed, and used her attributes for good measure, she’d be a brilliant politician. She chose not to go against the grain and follow what life had in store for her, becoming a brilliant outlaw. Her skills in deceit and persuasion got her to this point, and she shows no signs of slowing down. 

After a few short minutes of silence and listening to their own thoughts, they arrived on the hill. Jihyo was struck at the gorgeous homes they passed on their way to Jeongyeon’s manor. The mayor’s mansion was expectedly the largest and prettiest in the area, the lined oak trees umbrellaing the path to the house is the prettiest landscaping Jihyo has ever seen. 

Needless to say Jihyo was utterly impressed by Jeongyeon’s manor that sat on several acres of land. The land was mostly flat grassland, with a few wooded areas here and there. Her large, white brick home had tall windows and an even larger porch. Before they entered her home, two of Jeongyeon’s ranch hands took their horses off their hands and she gave Jihyo a brief tour of her ranch. Jihyo’s favorite part was the small garden with a stream tucked behind a wooded area that Jeongyeon uses to clear her mind. 

“The house isn’t much but I’d kill a hundred men a hundred times over for this land.” Jeongyeon spoke proudly. 

Upon reaching the steps of the home, Jihyo was taken aback by the sheer size. She questioned why Jeongyeon would need such a large home if she lives by herself. Jeongyeon doesn’t have any family, nor is she in a relationship. “You live here by yourself?” 

“No, for safety reasons. I have about six other people that live here with me, I call them my ranch hands.” She smiled. “I’m sure you know I have a lot of people on my payroll, and they’re some of them. They help tend to the land, and keep things in order in this county.” 

Jihyo nodded.

“I have homes — not as big as this one — in almost every county under my territory and there’s even more ranch hands with responsibilities there.” She continued. “I chose to live in Rosenthal for status and the land. Twelve miles from here is prime land, rich in minerals and oil. That’s how I earned most of my fortune.” 

Outlaw turned into a business woman, Jihyo never thought she’d see the day. She remembers the both of them scraping for change in shacks just to eat dinner. 

There isn’t a moment more dour than when Jeongyeon brought Jihyo to a spare room. The room was fairly empty, there was only a wooden dresser and a bed. Sun rays peeked inside, reflecting on the floorboards and bed comforter. 

Jeongyeon leaned in the door frame, letting Jihyo enter and explore the room alone. “This is your room.” She said softly. It was clear she was happy to see Jihyo in the room. “I never knew when you were going to come back, or if so I built this and dedicated it to you.”

Jihyo glanced at her while she stared at the floor, avoiding her eyes. “I’ll be in the sunroom to watch the sunset. Join me when you settle.” She announced before leaving Jihyo in her room alone. 

Her heart tugged at Jeongyeon’s gesture. It went much deeper than a room dedicated to her and Jihyo’s nothing but appreciative. 

After changing into cleaner clothes and washing off, she joined Jeongyeon in the sunroom. 

Jeongyeon had a cigar between her lips and one in her hand, “Cigar?” She offered Jihyo. 

Jihyo nodded and took the cigar, “What’re you drinking?” She asked, pointing at a glass on the table in front of them, 

“Tea.” Jeongyeon replied. 

Jihyo furrowed her brows quizzically, “Tea? You don’t drink anymore?” She asked. 

Jeongyeon shook her head, “Brings nothing but trouble.” 

Jihyo could wholly agree with that statement. Jeongyeon and whiskey were like oil and water, didn’t mix very well. She’s glad Jeongyeon turned away some of the bad aspects of her life around, she could never do anything like that. 

Jeongyeon finished the rest of her drink and leaned forward, “How about that job?” She beamed. 

“Tell me about it.” She drew out a large puff.

“We’re going to take down Hirai Momo.”She proclaimed. This is perhaps the only moment Jihyo can recall of Jeongyeon being serious. Her face was stoney and there was not a single lilt in her tone. 

But Jihyo, she couldn’t help but laugh. 

Hirai Momo’s territory dwarfed Jeongyeon’s and she was even more feared. Where Jeongyeon’s gang is made up of outcasts trying to make a living, Momo’s gang is full of nothing but rogue bandits. She tries to stay within Jeongyeon’s borders the best she can, meaning she’s never come across Momo or any of the Hirai Gang.

“You don’t have enough manpower, influence or territory.” She giggled. 

Jeongyeon frowned at Jihyo’s reaction. “Don’t worry about my manpower, I have more than enough. Even she knows that.” Her eyes were now wide, she had something to prove to Jihyo now, something she’s never been able to do. “She doesn’t know about you, though. Us together is a weapon she won’t see coming.” She aroused. 

“When was the last time you were seen in action, Yoo?” Jihyo asked. “When was the last time you got those hands dirty?”

In the beginning, Jeongyeon had to do some heavy work, but that’s no longer the case. She doesn’t have a single finger to keep what she built intact, she has plenty of loyal followers to do that for her. 

“I get my hands dirty everyday.” She replied ominously.

Jihyo gulped. She’s heard how far Jeongyeon will go to protect her land and her assets, no matter how many laws are broken or how many lives are lost. On the other hand, Jihyo has always tried to have a no killing compass, but all that doesn’t matter to Jeongyeon

“You’re going to need a map.” Jihyo shared. 

“I have one.” She argued. She pulled out a map of the state, one that highlighted the territories of the Big Three Gangs that currently run the entire state. 

Jihyo pushed the map out the way. “No. A map of Hirai’s territory. We need to know safe houses, dangerous roads, and dead zones. Gotta have a map of her territory if you want to at least be a threat, because right now, you aren’t.” She advised. 

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes, “How on earth do you expect me to have a detailed map of her territory? It’s not like I can send someone to go scout her lands, bullets will be immediate.” 

“I know someone who does a little bit of cartography. She likes to travel and has detailed maps of the three gangs in the state.” Jihyo responded. 

“Are you sure she’ll have a map of Hirai’s territory?” 

“I’m certain.” She looked on sternly. “But a map like that is worth someone’s life. The price for it will be big.” 

Jeongyeon leaned back into her seat, “Money’s no problem with me.” 

Jihyo clicked her tongue, “There's always a catch with this one. She’s a sad drunkard, but sharper than a knife. She’s picky over who she sells to and over her liquor.” She started “I can guarantee if we can find her favorite whiskey, present it to her, that map will be in our hands.” Jihyo shared.

Jeongyeon listens attentively, “What’s the whiskey called? I get one of my hands to go fetch it tonight and we can leave and find the drunk tomorrow.” 

“You really lost your touch, huh, Yoo?” She released a short chuckle. “Me and you both will go search for the whiskey and then find the cartographer. Keep everything under wraps until we can get a set plan.” 

Jeongyeon leans in, “Daybreak, We go looking for the liquor. After that we’ll find the drunk and get the map. Then we can start our drawing everything out. Sounds good?”

Jihyo nodded. 

She didn’t have a reason to take down Hirai, but she had a reason to assist Jeongyeon. Just as Jeongyeon had a reason to seek out Jihyo. They both know her ambitious plan wouldn't be possible without the two of them.


End file.
